Learning how to make yeast dough is inexpensive and easy to make at home using simple common ingredients from your pantry.
A Staple Around The World
Bread has always been a staple around the world, every culture and nationality has a bread recipe which is centuries old. With basic simple ingredients people have fed their families and communities with bread.
Maybe it is the comfort we get from working with dough, many describe the simple act of kneading dough as being therapeutic. Or is it that ancestral instinct for the need for simple food?
Bread is something that brings comfort that we will indeed, all be fed.
How to Proof Yeast
It is important to proof your yeast to see if it is still active. Not only does it assure success it also saves on ingredients, which is important during these times where we can have possible flour and sugar shortages.
In many dough recipes it asks for a package of yeast. That is referring to the single portions that comes in strips. Those are 2 1/4 teaspoons or 7 grams if you have a kitchen scale.
Heat Kills
Be aware that too hot of water will kill the yeast and it will not rise. We want to use warm, not boiling water when working with yeast.
To proof your yeast add 2 1/4 teaspoons or 7 grams to 1/4 cup of water that is between 95 – 110 degrees. Add one tablespoon of sugar and stir. If it does not bubble up and your water was not too hot then your yeast is dead, Toss out the remaining container and purchase new. If it bubbles up add the remaining ingredients needed in the recipe you are making.
How Much Instant Yeast is needed to equal active dry yeast?
1 teaspoon instant (bread machine) yeast = 1 1/4 teaspoons active dry yeast.
1 teaspoon active dry yeast = 3/4 teaspoon instant yeast.
How To Make Yeast Dough
- 4 - 4½ cups of white flour
- 1 package of yeast - 2¼ teaspoons or 7 grams
- 1 cup of milk
- ⅓ cup of sugar
- ⅓ cup of butter
- 1 teaspoon of salt
- 2 eggs
- In a mixing bowl combine 2 cups of flour and the yeast.
- In a saucepan heat the milk, butter and sugar just until warm 110 degrees is perfect.
- Pour the milk mixture into the mixer bowl.
- Add the eggs.
- Beat on low speed for about 30 seconds, scraping the sides of the bowl.
- Beat on high for 3 minutes.
- Add 2 cups of flour and knead for 6-8 minutes by hand or using the dough hook on your mixer until smooth and elastic.
- If the dough is sticky add the final half cup of flour.
- Place dough on to a lightly floured surface and shape into the smooth ball.
- Place dough into a large bowl that has been rubbed with oil or butter.
- Cover the bowl with plastic wrap that has been sprayed with non stick spray.
- Now cover the bowl with a clean kitchen towel and place it somewhere warm to allow the dough to rise until double in size, approximately 1 hour.
- After the hour punch the dough down and allow to rest for 10 minutes.
- Your dough is now ready to use.
Shaping The Buns
Once your dough has done the second rise it is ready to form into buns. Pinch off a piece of dough, the size depends on how big your want your finished buns to be. Use 2 hands to pull the dough downwards to form a ball, pinching the edges together on what will be the bottom side of the bun.
It might take a few pulls to get a nice shape. By pinching the edges of the dough together at the bottom will help the bun keep its shape.
Grease The Pans
Place into a pan that has been sprayed with non stick spray or been wiped down with butter or oil. Leave spacing between the buns to allow for them to rise. Cover the pan lightly with the plastic wrap used to cover the bowl earlier. Place the pans somewhere warm to rise for 30 minutes.
Bake in a 375 degree oven for 12 – 15 minutes or until done. Remove from the oven and turn the buns onto a wire rack to cool.
To make brown and serve buns:
After the 30 minute rise bake in a 325 degree oven for 10 minutes. Do not allow to brown. Remove from oven, cool and wrap to be froze. To bake frozen buns thaw in the package for 15 minutes. Remove from packaging and place on a cookie sheet and bake in a 400 degree oven for 10 minutes or until golden.
I like to make my buns a bit smaller if I do not plan of using them for things like hamburgers. This recipe would be great for hamburger buns, use a larger pan to give them room to rise once formed.
You could make a single loaf of bread using this dough or tiny butter buns.
This quick and simple recipe is one to keep handy when you want to do a quick batch of fresh baked buns.
